A Flutter Of Fingers
by Little Artemis
Summary: [Mute!Dean AU, set during Lazurus Rising] Dean refused to speak after the fire, and has maintained it since.


"He hasn't spoken since the fire."

Those words always ring in his ears reminding him just how much of a burden he is. That he has always been. Sam went away to college to get away from it all and Dean went along dragging him down. He tried to stay out of the way as Sam focused on studies, and dated Jess. Got his own studio apartment, went days with out seeing anyone aside from work. Being a mechanic was easy enough and the boss understood sign language so that helped.

Then all the stuff with Dad came up and…he hated that he wanted to go chase after John, but he could not leave what was now his home. Not when he was just barely clinging onto the tethers of the relationship he and Sam had. Could not stand the thought of pulling Sam away from that.

Unfortunately things never worked that way for Dean.

All he saw was red before running into the apartment building to pull Sam out. Away from the fire that had taken Jess, and consequently away from their (Sam's) happy life. That began the hunt to find John, and the demon that killed their Mother, Jess, and stole Dean's voice.

Everything went to hell after that.

John died, Sam died, Dean sold his soul (Sam was alive again though, that was all that mattered).

Then…then the hellhounds came and Dean would find out what it meant to be in hell. More than just fire and brimstone. The tortured became the torturers and he thought he would become one of the things he hunted soon enough. Ten years carving into souls…he deserved it.

Only a light in the sky saved him from this fate.

Dean Winchester is saved.

Next thing he knew he was awake, alive, and buried six feet down. Whatever pulled him out had some purpose in it. He just knew it. Good things did not happen with out a reason. Especially to him (like anything good ever happened to him).

"_Castiel?_" Head tilted his fingers fluttered as he looked to Sam who signed back in agreement.

"Y'know you can talk out loud, Sam? Dean can hear ya. May not got his voice, but he ain't deaf or dumb." Bobby snorted, though he knew what they were saying to each other.

"Yeah but the practice is good." Smiling he reached over, taking his older brother's hands which were shaking with anxiety. This 'Castiel' had taken Pamela's eyes. What could it do to them then? What did it want from Dean?

"It'll be okay, we'll find out what it is, and we'll all be okay Dean. I'm not going to let you go again…" his thumb brushed over the back of Dean's hand and he relaxed a little eyes falling closed. He wanted to believe him, he did…it was just hard. After everything they have been through, he could not imagine anything good happening.

It was why when they summoned 'Castiel' at the barn he was tense, jumping at the slightest noise as Bobby tried to calm him. The figure with dark hair appeared and Dean was ready with his knife stabbing into him with as much force as he could muster. With nothing but a flick of one hand he was sent back into the wall, the knife pulled from his chest - Ruby's knife, the one that could kill any demon.

Seconds later Bobby fell unconscious to the ground leaving Dean on his own to handle this…thing.

Shaking hands tried to form something coherent. "Who are you? What are you? What do you want?" A string of seemingly incoherent thought, his mouth opening and closing wishing for the millionth time since the fire that he could form some words but all that came was little choked noises.

Like Sam, 'Castiel' took his hands, covering them with his own as bright blue eyes stared into his own curious. Almost questioning. "They never mentioned the righteous man was so broken…" it's (his?) voice was a low thrum drowned out only by the sound of Dean's rapid heartbeat in his ears. "I can hear your thoughts, you can relax." As if that was something comforting, it only scared Dean more.

"To answer your earlier questions, I think you already know who I am. I am Castiel, an angel of the lord. The one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."

A simple thought came in answer from Dean; "why?"

"I'll get to that later. I must speak with my superiors about this…development. Your friend will wake soon." He looked over to Bobby before looking back to Dean. Then came a sound like the rushing of wings before he was gone and Dean's hands felt cold, exposed to the cool air again.

Falling back against the wall of the barn he slipped down until he was sitting on the unforgiving stone, his entire being shuddering. He did not know what to think or feel, only that Castiel was far from what he expected.

Also that he did not deserve to have an angel pull him from hell.


End file.
